PoDoCo Grants Showcase Growing Corporate Interest in Data and AI Application Development
In the fall 2023 application round of the Post Docs in Companies program (PoDoCo), funding has been awarded to 11 collaborative projects between postdocs and companies.
“The purpose of the PoDoCo program is to foster the development of new business ventures. The content of the applications indicates that various applications related to data and artificial intelligence are currently significant for companies. Another important focus area is the promotion of circular economy. The high-level expertise of PoDoCo doctoral researchers is essential for advancing these areas,” says Seppo Tikkanen, who leads PoDoCo at DIMECC Ltd.
Through the PoDoCo program, 245 doctoral researchers have contributed their expertise to companies. Since its inception in 2015, the PoDoCo program has received grant applications for 466 projects. As a result of fully realized PoDoCo projects, 90 percent of participants have found employment with collaborating companies.
The PoDoCo program is led by DIMECC and funded by the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, Maa- ja vesitekniikan tuki ry, Svenska Kulturfonden, The Society of Swedish Literature in Finland (SLS), Finnish Foundation for Technology Promotion, KAUTE Foundation, Foundation for Economic Education, Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation, and The Paulo Foundation, investing a total of approximately 800,000 euros every year, which enables over 24 full-year grants each year.
Any company, regardless of industry, and any individual who has recently completed or will soon complete their doctoral dissertation can participate in the PoDoCo program.
“We have funded collaborative projects in all fields of science. Applications from the field of engineering and natural sciences are usually the most numerous. We hope that companies and doctoral researchers will find more common ground in the social sciences, culture, and humanities in the future,” Tikkanen adds.
The spring PoDoCo grant application round is open from March 1 to April 15, 2024.
PoDoCo Fall 2023 grants
| Applicant | Company | Collaboration | Foundation |
| Klockars Konrad | Nordic Bioproducts Group | High value nanocelluloses from microcrystalline cellulose made by AaltoCell™ process | Kulturfonden |
| Pakaman Farhad | TietoEvry Finland Oy | GreenVISA: Energy-Efficient VISual Analysis for Industry-Scale Machine Vision Services | Wihuri (LOI) |
| Teixeira Polez Roberta | UPM Kymmene | Fundamental characterization of nanocellulose hydrogels for biomedical applications | Kaute |
| Zhao Weixin | Halton Oy | Data-driven proactive control strategy for sustainable cleanroom | TES |
| Mäkinen Petri | Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions | Advancing Mining Robotics for Enhanced Task Adaptability and Autonomy | Wihuri |
| Lehmann Annika | Weeefiner Oy | From Lab to Industry: Scaling Rare Earth Element Refinement with 4D-Printed Scavengers | Wihuri |
| Chen Quangang | Radientum Oy | Design and Evaluation Methods for Radar Systems | Wihuri |
| Rönkkö Pasi | Carbon Balance | Value chains for biochar in sparsely populated regions | Nessling |
| Mammadova Ramila | Lumene Oy | Towards novel high-value nanobiotech products from the Berry Pomace side stream | Wihuri |
| YAMAC MEHMET | Haltian OY | Enhancing Privacy and Sustainability in Multi-Sensory Data Collection with Advanced Signal Processing and AI: Compressive and Secure Sensing (CSS) | LSR |
| Mohsin Muhammad | DME Solutions Oy Ltd | Role of Woody Biochar in Restoration of Acidic Cut-away Peatlands: Implications for Climate Mitigation and Environmental Protection | MVTT |
